Hey all – I’m in search of a new “A” race for 2023, and wondering if I can crowdsource some ideas from the group here.
An unfortunate casualty of Covid was the event that used to be my “A” race for the year – the Cherry Roubaix in northern Michigan.
The Cherry was unique in that it was a true road race, not a crit nor a gravel event. Also, it had a profile like the Tour of Flanders … lots of short punchy climbs. Profile below:
Road racing is basically dead in the Midwest outside of criteriums, and while I race a lot of gravel I did always look forward to a proper road event.
To sum up the following attributes would be the sweet spot of what I’m looking for:
- Length: 40-70-ish miles (3 to 4 hours long)
- Profile: punchy, selective climbs between 1:30 and 4 minutes … ~2000 - ~4000 feet of climbing
- Type: Road race, or predominantly road where you could race on a road bike with 28s. Mass start is great, Fondo-type events are great as long as there is a timer and a podium
I heard the conversation on the podcast last week about the Tour of the Battenkill, and that sounds interesting … any other events come to mind that fit the bill anywhere around the U.S.?
Thanks in advance!